Years Later
by Lazarinity
Summary: It starts off on the girls' 12th birthday party. Tragedy strikes, and the girls are forced to move far away. When an enemy from the past re emerges, they are forced to deal with issues they had buried.
1. Smiles fade to Black

Years Later  
  
Chapter One: Smiles that Fade to Black Buttercup, Bubbles and Blossom were in the bathroom, arguing.  
"Bubbles, will you *please* get out of the shower? Blossom and I still have to get in! There's only an hour and a half left and you've been in there for an hour!" Buttercup screamed at the bathing Bubbles.  
"Listen, I'll get out when I'm done!" she snapped back  
"Well, what in God's name are you doing in there that's taking so freaking long?"  
"Just something!"  
"Come *on* Bubbles!"  
"CHILL OUT!" Buttercup heard the shower turn off. "I'm done!" Bubbles came out of the shower wrapped in a towel. Buttercup sighed.  
"Now will you tell me what took so long?" Bubbles smiled and nodded.  
"Feel my legs."  
"What!?"  
"Just do it." Buttercup looked down at her sister's legs, and rubbed one. It was soft. She had shaved her legs for the first time.  
"Bubbles, you're such a moron." Bubbles looked offended.  
"Why do you say that?"  
"Because you've just turned twelve years old today! Nobody is feeling your legs, are they?"  
"No," she said in a small voice. "But everybody else is doing it. Blossom is gonna start."  
"Just because 'everybody else is doing it' doesn't mean you have to!"  
"I know, I just.wanted to."  
"Okay. Whatever. I need to take a shower." Buttercup jumped in the shower, leaving the flabbergasted Bubbles behind. Bubbles wandered into the room that the three of them still shared, and found it a mess with clothes.  
"Blossom!" she squealed, "we're gonna have people up here!"  
"I know," Blossom said, helpless. "I just don't know what to wear."  
"Wear your dress. You haven't worn it in ages."  
"No. I thought about it, but, I think buttercup is going to wear hers, and I don't want to match."  
"We should all wear our dresses. Besides, Professor likes us in them, and it would be nice to do something small like that for him."  
"That's true. Good thinking Bubbles."  
"Come on, let's get this mess cleaned up." Blossom nodded and they started picking up the scattered clothes.  
Shortly after they finished, Buttercup came into the room wrapped in a green towel. "Shower's all yours," She said. Blossom nodded and walked off towards the bathroom.  
"Do you think Professor will let us get our rooms? If we ask?" Buttercup asked Bubbles. They both put on their dresses.  
"You're wearing yours, too?" Buttercup asked, sounding happy rather than annoyed, like Bubbles had expected.  
"We all are. For Professor."  
"Yeah. That's a good idea. But, about the rooms."  
"You don't want to share one anymore?"  
"Well, I do want a little privacy. I mean, you guys are great, and my best friends, but. a girl wants some privacy, you know?"  
"I guess."  
"You've never thought about it?"  
"No."  
"Oh."  
"I'm sure Professor will give you what ever you want."  
"Yeah." Buttercup trailed off, feeling guilty about mentioning it. After they finished dressing, they brushed their hair. Bubbles ran into the bathroom, and came out with a bag. She dumped it out in front of the mirror. "What's all that?"  
"It's called make-up," Bubbles said slowly, taunting Buttercup. "It's quite a simple concept. First what you do-"  
"I know what make-up is! Again, why? You don't need makeup."  
"It makes me look pretty."  
"Bubbles, we're twelve!"  
"Just because you haven't reached puberty doesn't mean others of us haven't!" bubbles suddenly shouted.  
"What makes you think I haven't reached puberty!?"  
"You don't want to look pretty!"  
"THAT'S NOT THE KEY TO LIFE!"  
"IT IS RIGHT NOW!"  
"What's all the shouting about? This is a happy day!" the Professor said, coming into the room.  
"Bubbles wants to wear make-up and 'look pretty.' I tried to tell her it wasn't important!"  
"Not to you, Buttercup. But it might be to Bubbles. Your priorities are different. Now, let's smile and be happy. It's your birthday." Bubbles and Buttercup grudgingly nodded.  
At exactly four the party started. The girls had invited friends over, and it was going to be a big sleep over. The first person to arrive was Cara. Kara was a friend of all three girls, and was bearing a gift for each one. Bubbles took the gifts and placed them on the table, in three seperete spots. Blossom led the girl to where the party was going to be held. Girl after girl came, and they giggled and talked and had a good time.  
"Girls," Professor called, sticking his head into the living room at about six thirty. I think it's time for cake and ice cream. This resulted in giggles and cheers. So, they left. And the party carried on. Some girls left, because they were unallowed to spend the night. At the end of the night, it was down to six girls-Blossom, Buttercup and Bubbles, of course, and Kara, Annette, and Mary.  
The next morning the girls woke groggily around eleven, and packed to go home.  
"I hate that everybody has to leave," Blossom complained, and Bubbles and Buttercup simply nodded. After the last person left (Kara), and the last gift was put away, Buttercup decided to confront the Professor about getting a separate room.  
"Professor," she started quietly.  
"Yes, Buttercup?  
"Well, I was wondering, if. Maybe. I could." that's when it happened. Somebody dressed in all gray broke through the living room window. Buttercup screamed for Bubbles and Blossom, who flew downstairs. The three fought him, but he swiftly had let a gas seep into the room. The girls found themselves without their powers and completely helpless.  
"Now that that's out of the way, on to the task," the man grumbled and stared with ice black eyes at the Professor. The man pulled out a gun and shot him repeatedly in the chest.  
"NO!" multiple screams came from the corner. "NO!" all three ran up to the man, and attacked him, beating him with suddenly weak fists, and kicking with powerless legs. The man in gray restrained them easily, and punched them one by one in the face. Once they were beaten and on the floor, he spit on them.  
"Happy birthday, brats," he said in a voice so cold it almost froze the room. He then disappeared, without a trace. Bubbles curled into a hysterical ball. Blossom just sat there, staring at the professor, *her* professor, with the blood spilling out of his body. Buttercup glared out the broken window.  
"We have to do something," she said angrily, getting up and running towards the window. "We-We have to catch him!" Buttercup began to run out the door.  
"He's gone, buttercup!" Bubbles screamed after her.  
"No! No, he's not!" she screamed and left the house, running down the street. She felt somebody tug on her arm.  
"He's gone," Bubbles said softly. A complete sense of helplessness filled both of them. Buttercup hugged Bubbles and they both fell into a fit of tears. Blossom came out a little later.  
"I've called the Mayor. The police are on their way."  
"Nobody dies. Nobody-Nobody." Bubbles began, but stopped. Buttercup stood up, helped her sister up, and they all walked back to the house. They didn't go inside, none of them could bring themselves to. The police showed up ten minutes later to the stunned silent girls.  
"Did you see what happened?" the main cop asked them. Only Buttercup could bring herself to nod.  
"Can you talk about it?" There was a silence in which they were all trying to find their voice. It seemed as if their throats had become too large for their breaths to make it into a noise. "I know it's hard, but try."  
"The guy broke in through the window," Buttercup said slowly. "It was just him and I. I-I called for Blossom and-and Bubbles."  
"We flew downstairs. and we-we. He took our powers. We tried to-to fight him," Bubbles continued. "But we were too weak. He started- He started shooting. And we tried, we *tried* to. we tried."  
"We tried to fight him off. but by then, it was too late. He pushed us down and ran off," Buttercup finished. The police officer nodded.  
"I'm truly sorry about your loss. Do you girls have any other family you can stay?"  
"No. It was always just. just. us and. the Professor."  
"Okay, this is what is going to happen: you're going to go to a foster home just for a few nights. Then we'll figure something more permanent from there." They nodded, not really sure of what else to do. They were told to go gather some of their belongings. They came out a few minutes later, and were escorted by a police car to Townsville's Foster Home.  
  
"The problem is, girls, is that we can't find a home for all of you in Townsville. We can't keep you together," the head of the home, Mrs. Ellison, said.  
"We're staying together," Bubbles said rather forcfully, surprising them all.  
"You can't stay in Townsville then."  
"Good," Buttercup snapped. "Send us as far away as possible." Mrs. Ellison looked at them with sorrow.  
"I know this town has bad memories."  
"You don't know anything!" Buttercup snapped.  
"Buttercup, please," Blossom said softly, looking pitifully at her sister. Buttercup calmed down, and didn't say another word.  
"You'll need to wait here a few more days so we can find a home for you three. A request like this. is difficult."  
"I know, trying to find a home for three twelve-year-olds must be a challenge."  
  
They waited three weeks before they found a home that would take them. They packed their bags and headed across the country-towards Boston. They were flying there, and the flight would take close to fourteen hours.  
"I'm never using them again," Blossom said suddenly, halfway through the flight.  
"Airplanes?" Bubbles said hopefully, but knew Blossom was refurring to her powers.  
"I'm never using my powers again. I'm not going to be a 'Powerpuff' girl anymore. I'm just going to be a girl."  
"I'm right there with you, Blossom. It's the reason the Professor. I don't think I could use my powers again."  
"When we get to Boston, let's. let's not say anything about our powers. They'll never know about them. We can start over. As new girls," Buttercup added. 


	2. The Problem with Blood, part one

At the Boston Airport, the girls slowly made their way to the sign "BLOSSOM, BUTTERCUP, BUBBLES." They had seen a picture of their foster parents, and this guy was definitely not them. He seemed like he was only a few years older than the girls were. Secondly, he seemed like a guy who was kind of anti-social. He was dressed in all black, his tee shirt had the logo of some bloody band, and he had chains and spikes.  
"Who are you?" Buttercup asked bluntly.  
"Your new brother," he stated, tossing aside the sign of their names. "Ellen and Bill wanted to come pick you up, but Ellen's sister is having health problems, and they needed to go see her."  
"Are you. adopted too?" Bubbles asked, nervously shifting her weight between her feet.  
"Yeah, I am. There's one other, a younger girl, Anna. By the way, my name is Aaron, and I'm sixteen. Anna is only three. Ellen and Bill only wanted to have plenty of kids, you know? Turns out they can't have any. Such a shame, really, they make excellent, understanding parents. I'm sure you'll love them."  
"They aren't our parents," Buttercup snapped accidentally. "What I mean is-"  
"You don't have to explain. I understand. I felt that way myself. You already had parents."  
"We already had a dad, yes." There was an awkward silence for a minute.  
"Well, shall we get going, then?" he asked, looking at them in a melancholy glance. They grabbed their bags, and followed him out of the airport.  
  
"Where are the newcomers?" Blossom heard a voice downstairs asked. They were all just sort of sitting in Blossom's new room. They had all been given separate rooms in the huge house. Blossom looked up at Bubbles and Buttercup.  
"They're here," she said so quietly it was almost a whisper. Then she looked apprehensively at Buttercup. "Be nice, okay? They're nice people who let us stay here."  
"Who said I wouldn't be nice?" Buttercup barked, looking offended. Soon after, they heard footsteps coming up the stairs and a light knock on the door.  
"Can I come in?" A woman's voice asked gently.  
"Yes," Blossom called out to her. The door opened, and a slightly thin woman with gentle features, blonde hair and green eyes came in the room. She was wearing a turquoise, light, loss-fitting long dress that swayed whenever she made the slightest movement.  
"I hope you like it here," She began. "There's so much to do in Boston. I suppose you're hungry and tired, aren't you lot?" The three of them just sort of nodded. "Yes, that's to be expected. Well, I'm sure dinner will be ready shortly. Would you like to come downstairs and get some?" Blossom and Buttercup nodded again and stood up to leave. Blossom and Ellen disappeared behind the door, and only then did Buttercup stop.  
"Bubbles, you're not coming?" Buttercup asked her. Bubbles just shook her head. Buttercup shrugged and followed the other two downstairs.  
  
Downstairs, at the dinner table, Ellen was serving plates full of chicken, mashed potatoes, and corn. Everybody-with the exception of Bubbles, who was still upstairs-was sitting down, almost like a family. There were plenty of polite "please pass," and "do you want"s, and it seemed for a brief moment like the two girls were completely normal.  
This made Bill very happy. They had fostered and adopted many children, but none of them had actually witnessed their parent's murder. And at such an age, where it is bound to stay stuck in their memory forever. He looked at the young redhead and the young brunette, and decided to give the normal, "as the male-figure, I enforce the rules, hardy har," speech. "I really hope you like it here. As your foster father, I-"  
"You're not our father!" Buttercup snapped suddenly. Wrong thing to say. He hadn't even realized he said it, until it was too late.  
"Yes, you're right, I was in no way implying that-"  
"We already had a father!"  
"Yes, I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"  
"It doesn't matter what you 'meant' by it! You still said it! I don't care if it's 'a force of habit'! You are not my father, and I don't want to hear you refer to yourself as mine!" Buttercup stormed away, leaving her meal behind. Bill looked at Ellen almost helplessly, and she quickly looked away. He looked down at the table, and noticed Blossom was staring at her plate as if it had grown a head. Yes, bringing up these girls would be difficult. One who was bathed in anger, one who secluded herself from everything, and one who was probably the most affected, acting almost normal. Yes, it was most definitely going to be a challenge. 


End file.
